Earthquake reflections
by hslacer
Summary: Ever wonder about many of the events in Gibbs' life. The death of his mother, his wedding to Shannon, Kelly's birth etc. While stuck in a basement during the East Coast earthquake in 2011 he remembers. Tony and the team are on a race to save him.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**0530 August 23, 2011.**

Leroy Jethro Gibbs woke up ready to greet the day. He folded his blanket and put away his pillow from his make shift bed on the sofa in the living room. He never slept in the bed upstairs anymore. He either crashed on his couch or he fell asleep under his boat in the basement. He had done this almost every night since his lovely wife Shannon and his daughter Kelly had been killed in 1991. With the few exceptions of his three ex-wives this had been his routine for almost 20 years. Last night he had managed to make it up the stairs and collapse on his couch.

He walked toward the kitchen to put on some coffee. Then he walked up the stairs to get a shower while he waited for the coffee.

This was his life. His boat and bourbon in the evenings and going to work at NCIS during the day. Not much changed for this very lonely man. As he got ready for his shower he mentally went over the plan for the day. Usually he showered, dressed, got his coffee and headed for the local diner for breakfast. After breakfast he headed for the Navel yard and the offices of NCIS.

Today was different however. He would shower, dress, get coffee and breakfast and then head out on some errands. He had taken the morning off. This was a very unusual occurrence for him.

**August 22, 2011 at 1300. **

He had received a call from an old Marine core friend who needed a favor.

"Hey Gunny," Lt. James Wilson said when Gibbs had answered his phone. " I need your help. I have a daughter going to Georgetown University in the fall."

"Which one?" Gibbs asked.

" Mary Alice" James answered, " Can you believe it Gunny my last one is off to college?"

"Just seems like yesterday she was born Jim."

" I know. Well I have been looking for an apartment for her. Nothing fancy just a nice place in a good neighborhood," James began "Well I have one in mind. Found it on the Internet but I need to check it out."

"When are you coming? Would really like to catch up." Gibbs had replied.

"Can't get away until next week. I am afraid that this gem will be long gone by the time I can get to Washington."

"Sorry to hear that Jim. You want me to check it out for you?"

"That is the favor I was going to ask. Could you check it out, meet the landlord and see if it is suitable for Mary?"

"Would love too. Not a great judge of homes you know. Since I lost Shannon have not been much for living quarters."

" Look at it for security and as a father, Gunny. I trust your judgment. If you think it is ok get the landlord to call me and I will get the lease and such started over the phone."

"Sure thing. Where is it?"

"Got the address right here." James Wilson had given him an address a couple of blocks from the Georgetown campus. It was in an acceptable neighborhood.

" I am taking tomorrow morning off to get some errands done. So if we don't get a case I will call you after lunch and give you my opinion," Gibbs told him. James gave him the address on Piney Branch road in Silver Spring, MD. Remembering the area it looked like a good place for Mary.

**House of Leroy Jethro Gibbs August 23, 2011 0600**

Gibbs had finished his shower and had his first cup of coffee for the day so he headed out for breakfast at his favorite diner. He ate his eggs, bacon, toast and coffee while he read the paper.

Nobody really noticed him this morning. He just enjoyed the quiet and his paper. When he finished he paid the check and left on his errands.

**Piney Branch road in Silver Spring, MD 1:30 pm.**

Gibbs met with the landlord, who seemed like the nice fatherly type and lived on the premises so Mary would be well looked after. He name was Walter Gordon and he took Gibbs down to the basement apartment that Gibbs came to look at.

" Look around all you want Special Agent Gibbs. I have to go upstairs and fix a leaky toilet," Mr. Gordon told him. " Lock up when you leave. Please."

" Be glad too. " Gibbs smiled and began to walk around the apartment. It was a nice place. It had a small living room and a nice kitchen just the right size for a college student in her first apartment. He walked into the bedroom.

There was room for a bed and a desk and their seemed to be enough plugs for a computer and TV. He could see Kelly living here while she was going to college.

His mind wandered back to the day Kelly was born. He was sitting next to Shannon in her hospital bed. Both of them were staring at the little baby girl they had brought into this world.

" Is she not the most beautiful baby in the world Jethro?" Shannon smiled. "She is so alert. It seem like she is just studying us."

"Yep she seems to be sizing us up. She looks at me and sees I have a sucker I can twist around my little finger," he had said taking the baby from Shannon. " Am I right Kelly? You know your daddy would do anything for you. "

"Promise me something Jethro."

"What sweetheart? I can't refuse you anything. You know that."

" When she grows up I want her to go to college. She can do whatever she wants even be a marine but I want her to go to college."

"Absolutely Shannon. I totally agree. She will."

Smiling to himself remembering that day brought him a small tear. "Wish I was picking this out for you Kel. Always wondered how far you would have gone in this world."

Just then his phone rang. The caller ID read Abby. "What is it Abbs?" he answered.

"Gibbs I am so glad I reached you. I was so worried. You always come in early. Tony said you took the day off. Are you sick? No Gibbs never gets sick. Are you on a case? Where are you Gibbs?"  
"ABBY" he growled, " Slow down girl. I am fine. I had a few errands to run. I am getting ready to head in right now. Should be there in about 20."

" Oh I am so glad. I was so worried about you."

" I am ok Abbs." Just then the ground began to shake and rumble. His phone began to loose signal.

"Gibbs!" Abby yelled. "What was that?"

" Sounds like an earthquake Abbs. I am ok. I will be there soon." The phone call ended as Abby heard a loud rumble and then a crash that sounded like the roof falling in. Then the line went dead.

A horrified Abby raced toward the stairs with tears in her eyes. "**Please let him be ok,"** Abby thought. She looked at the clock. 1:51 on August 23, 2011.


	2. Chapter 2 Where is Gibbs?

Chapter 2 Where's Gibbs?

_Thanks for all the reviews and story alerts. This story is a little tough to write but it is fun. I have always wondered how some of the milestones in Gibbs' life happened. The next chapter is about when Gibbs lost his mother. Any suggestions would be accepted._

" I am ok Abbs." Just then the ground began to shake and rumble. His phone was cutting in and out.

"Gibbs!" Abby yelled. "What was that?"

" Sounds like an earthquake Abbs. I am ok. I will be there soon." The phone call ended as Abby heard a loud rumble and then a crash that sounded like the roof falling in. Then the line went dead.

A horrified Abby raced toward the stairs with tears in her eyes. "**Please let him be ok,"** Abby thought. She looked at the clock. 1:51 on August 23, 2011.

In the NCIS bullpen immediately after the quake had finished its rumbling Tony DiNozzo looked around to survey the damage and to check on his team. Abby came running up the stairs in a state of panic screaming "Tony, Tim ,Ziva! Gibbs is in trouble. I know he is"

All three agents got up and rushed to her side. She was very pale and was in the middle of a major breakdown. "Calm down Abby," Tony soothed her putting his arm around her shoulders. "Tell me what is the matter? Did you talk to Gibbs?"

His embrace began to calm her a little. She knew she had to slow down to tell them. She took a deep breath and reported to them about the phone call with Gibbs and how the phone went dead. " I know something is wrong. We were talking and then I heard a crash and the phone went dead" Tears began rolling down her face. She was really worried. Gibbs was like her father and she was afraid for him.

" Relax Abbs. I bet his phone just lost signal or it just died. I am sure he's fine." Tony told her but from the panic look he still saw in her eyes he knew what he had said had no affect on her panicked state. "McGee, run a GPS trace on the Boss's phone. See if you can find a location on him. Ziva call down to Ducky and check on him and the autopsy gremlin. Then ask Ducky, if he knows anything about Gibbs plans for this morning."

"On it Tony," McGee replied. He rubbed Abby's arm and gave her a reassuring smile as he raced over to his desk and started the trace on his computer. " We will find him Abbs. I promise."

Ziva had picked up her phone to call Ducky. As she waited for him to answer she began to rub her Star of David necklace between her fingers. Ziva had not been much for religion since her sister died but this was Gibbs. He was like her father so she said a little prayer for him. She like Abby had a bad feeling about the situation.

McGee quickly ran a trace for the GPS signal on Gibbs' phone. He could not pinpoint where he was. He tried another program but still got nothing. Gibbs was missing and probably hurt. " Can't get anything Tony. Phone must be turned off."

This news set Abby's Gibbs meter off the charts again and she started to panic and tears began to fill her eyes. " Timmy something is really wrong. He never turns his phone off. I am not sure he knows how." Tim walked over to Gibbs' desk where Abby was sitting and gave her a reassuring hug. " We will find him Abbs. Let's go down to the lab as start searching cell towers. We may have to retrace the entire day, " he told her trying to reassure her and himself.

Ziva got off the phone with Ducky. She looked at her worried team and tried to remain in control. She like Abby had a bad feeling that something was very very wrong. " Ducky and Palmer are fine. Just a little shaken up. Ducky told me that Gibbs had mentioned something about a dentist appointment this morning and then some other errands. He did not know which dentist," she reported.

" Gibbs at the dentist. That is scary. Hope it wasn't root canal. His is going to ….. " Tony stopped in mid sentence knowing that a joke about Gibbs right now was not what his team needed. He was their leader until they found Gibbs. He needed to step up to the plate and find the Boss. "Abby, McGee find that dentist. I need a name and location. Bet Gibbs was the first appointment of the day"

"On it" McGee without a second thought grabbed Abby's hand and they walked hand in hand across the bullpen to the stairs.

Ziva and Tony looked at each other and smiled. Both knew there was more to that relationship than just friendship. "What do we do now?"

"Let's check his desk. Maybe he has an appointment card or something that says where he is," Tony suggested.

" You are senior agent Tony. I will let you take that assignment. I do not want to be around when Gibbs finds out you gunned through his things"

"Rifled," Tony corrected " But we have to find the Boss."

Dust still filled the air of the small basement apartment when Gibbs opened his eyes. He began to look around at the destruction around him. He could see the roof over the bedroom and hallway had collapsed and there was a beam from part of the ceiling that was lying on his left leg and there was damaged sheet rock scattered around the room. He looked down at his legs. The left one was trapped and probably broken and he could see his shinbone sticking out of the right one a small pool of blood had formed under his calf. "Wonder why I am not in pain" he thought. Then he remembered his root canal and the bourbon he had drunk after the dentist finished. He detested painkillers. A good shot of bourbon usually did the trick better than any old pain pill. "Bet the pain is swimming up stream against the bourbon " He was again thankful for the flask that Shannon and Kelly had given him to celebrate the Marine Corp's birthday. He hoped that was why his head was spinning and not a concussion. He felt dizzy and his brain was a little fuzzy. He reached up with his right hand and felt a huge bump on his forehead. "Guess that is why I passed out" he said out loud to himself. " Bet I do have a concussion then." He decided to check for other injuries. He felt his arms. " Bet I have a few burses here and a few cuts. Carefully turning his head he noticed a blood on his left shoulder so he felt that side of his head and found a large cut just over his left ear. Reaching into his pocket he found his handkerchief and began to apply pressure.

"Where is my damn cell phone?" he muttered looking around. There it was crushed under a huge piece of sheet rock from the bedroom wall.

" Well looks like I am at the mercy of DiNozzo." He felt strange talking to himself but he wanted to stay alert and avoid loosing consciousness again. " Abby knows that I am in trouble she will sound the alert and I have a good team. They **will** find me."

Knowing he could be there a while he began trying to think of ways to keep him awake as well as get his mind off the pain. Suddenly a thought came to him. "Mom" he thought, " I really miss her."

He had not thought of his mother in years and a small smile appeared on his face but he had tears in his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3 October 12, 1959

Chapter 3

October 12, 1959

2:30 August 23, 2011

Gibbs managed to move his arm up to look at his watch. He let out a sigh of relief that it had not been broken. It had been thirty minutes since the quake had shook most of the East Coast. He silently prayed that there would not be any after shocks for a while. Let his team find him first. The ceiling of this small basement apartment might not stand another shake up. He was sure if anything else fell on him he might not be alive when DiNozzo and his team found him.

His leg had begun to hurt. Maybe the bourbon he had earlier was starting to wear off. He reached for his flask for another shot then he realized something Ducky had told him about a concussion and bourbon not mixing. He felt a little fuzzy as it was and he desperately wanted to stay conscious because passing out would not be the best of things.

Gibbs knew his team, no wait his family would move heaven and earth to find him. "Abby knows something is wrong. She was talking to me when the quake hit. She will sound the alarm," he told himself. He hated being helpless. He was usually the rescuer and not the rescued.

Gibbs despised any kind of weakness in him. Many events in his life had forced him to be that emotionless sturdy marine who was confident in his strength. Any form of emotion he tried his best to keep to himself.

As most humans do in a time of stress he began to think back on those milestones that made him the person he was today. Some were good and some were so horrible he hated to think about them. Those horrible events had molded his ability to remain emotionless in any situation at least to the general public.

His concussion-affected brain began to remember one of those milestones that shaped his life. It was a day he had forced himself to forget because of the pain it caused. It was October 12, 1959. An eight-year-old Leroy Jethro Gibbs was lying in his bed trying to avoid getting up for school. "Leroy, if you want breakfast you had better get a move on" his father called from the kitchen. He glanced over at his clock and realized that he had better get up and hurry if he wanted to kiss his mother goodbye before school. Miss Wilson will surely call his dad or worse if he is late one more time.

Jumping out of bed he grabbed a T-shirt and clean but worn pair of jeans and put them on. Grabbing his PF Flier high tops he quickly laced them up and quietly run down the hall to the door of his mother's room.

She was very very sick and he knew that. Each day he came into her room she was getting weaker and weaker. It hurt him so much to see how helpless she was and each day he grew madder and madder at his dad and the world blaming every body including God for taking his mother away.

He knocked quietly on the door. "Mom" he said quietly, "Can I come in? It is almost time for school"

He heard her weak voice say come in. Opening the door slowly he walked into her room. She was lying in her bed. Her skin was pale and her arms were covered with burses from the IVs and tests from her last hospital visit. He hated seeing them almost as much as he hated her being in the hospital. At least at home he got to see her. "He would cry later "he thought." She does not need to seem me upset." So he plastered a grin on his face and walked over and kissed her gently on the cheek "Morning Mom," he whispered," How are you feeling this morning?"

" I am fine baby. You look so handsome today. Are you ready for that Math test?" Her voice was so weak he almost did not hear what she said.

"Sure am Mom. Going to ace it. I promise"

"Good I am so proud of you. Promise me something."

"Anything Mom. I would do anything you ask."

"Be a good son for me and try to get along with your father. He loves you too."

Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his dad had their moments. He had always loved his mother but sometimes he had trouble understanding his dad. Mom had always been there to work things out when they got upset. Even at eight there were things Leroy knew weren't right and his father sometimes broke those rules.

" I'll try Mom. " He sat down on the bed next to her and she held his hands. She was having trouble breathing and he knew she was very tired. "Mom I need to get to school and I can see you need a nap. I will be a little late today. We have football practice afterschool today."

" Have fun baby and you better come tell me about the whole day when you get home." She smiled weakly at him. He gave her another kiss and was off. Lucky for his mom Leroy did not see the tears in her eyes. Her gut told her that this was the last time she would see her son.

She was still crying when Jackson Gibbs came up with her breakfast. "Feel like a little breakfast."

"Has he gone Jack?"

"Yes he is taking the short cut across the field behind the store" he told her. " I can see him from the window."

" I am afraid Jack. I really think I may never see him again. Promise me you will take good care of him. I am so afraid that my death will really hurt him. He tries hard to keep his feeling bottled up inside. "

" I promise. I will try my best." He tried to get her to sit up and sip a little broth as well as take her medicine.

She gently closed her eyes and went to sleep. She never spoke another word. She was gone.

Tears were falling out of Gibbs' eyes when he came back to reality. Remembering his last conversation with his mother was so hard to accept. But the rest of that day was even worse.

It had not been his best day. He had been late for school and his teacher had taken away his lunch recess to make him clean the black boards and sweep the classroom. His mind had been on things that his mother had not said that morning and the churning in his gut distracted him so he failed the math test.

After school Eddy and Chuck tried to pick a fight with him over who was going to be quarterback. The coach had picked him so they had jumped him on the way home.

He came into his house. His jeans were torn and his shirt was nearly ripped off of him. He had a black eye and all he wanted was a great big hug from his mother. He needed to talk to her about Eddy and Chuck. They were always trying to hurt him. She always had a way to make him feel better.

When he went by the kitchen he saw his dad sitting at the table with a bottle of bourbon and a large glass. His head was in his hands and Mrs. Hastings from next door was rubbing his shoulders. Leroy looked at his dad and he became angrier than he had ever been. This was more that he could take. Since his mother had been sick there were rumors around town that Jackson Gibbs had been "visiting " with other women. Leroy did not know what that meant exactly but he knew he did not like it.

Now he really had to talk to his mother. He raced up the stairs two at a time. When he got to the top he saw her door open. What was up with that? Her door was never open. Quietly he walked into the room. " Mom, where are you?"

Her bed was made and she was nowhere. "Maybe she had to go back to the hospital," he thought.

He ran back downstairs into the kitchen. "Dad, Where is mom? She is not upstairs. Is she back at the hospital?" he asked. Tears began to fill his eyes as the look on his dad's face told him everything he did not want to know.

"She is gone Leroy. She went just after you left for school this morning."

"Dad, she can't be dead. She told me she would be there when I got home. They made me quarterback and I wanted to tell her," he screamed. His head was spinning. He did not want to believe what his father told him. He couldn't. She can't be dead. She just can't.

Jackson got up to come to his son and almost fell on the floor drunk. Leroy looked at him and a rage came over him that he could not understand. "Really Dad."

" He is just so upset Leroy." Mrs. Hastings held out her hands to comfort him. Leroy pushed her hands away and ran out the door with tears streaming down his face.

" Where can I go?" he thought. "Where?" He just ran for a long time going nowhere really then he thought of the one person he could talk too. He raced down toward his father's store and found LJ just closing up. "Uncle LJ " he screamed rushing into his arms. "She's dead. She died and I was not there. I could not help her."

LJ just held his crying namesake and let the boy unburden himself. " I know son. Just let it out. I am here."

Back in the small apartment Gibbs remembered those events like they were yesterday. Somehow his dad and he had found a peace between them but it was never the same for him after she left. He was determined that someone had to pay for her death and for the longest time it was his father. He could not accept that someone could just get sick and die. He was upset that she left him. Deep down he had thought if he had been there he could have saved her. With the help of Uncle LJ his dad's partner he knew he could have not stopped her from going and that she did not want to leave. It was just the way things were. Gibbs had never truly accepted that. He could change things he hoped. But wishing it did not bring his mother back.


	4. Chapter 4 Gibbs meets Abby

Chapter 4

March 5, 2001

_Sorry I have taken so long to update this story. I have really been struggling with how to proceed. The next chapter is about how Forensic Expert Abigail Sciuto met Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Please be understanding with this chapter I have watched the beginning episodes again to get an idea for how to handle the beginning of the Abby/Gibbs relationship. This is my take on it. With Abby there will be some moments of fun. I hope. Just made up the date with the information given the early episodes._

Timothy McGee had stopped at the Caf-Pow machine to get Abby a large drink. "Knowing Abby " he thought "This was going to take a lot of Caf-Pow to get her through this. We will find Gibbs alive I just know it."

After getting Abby's drink he made his way into the world of Abby. As he came to the door he did not hear her usual heavy metal music blaring. Instead she was playing country, the slow kind with the southern drawl whining that he knew she hated. He quietly stepped into the room and noticed Abby staring blankly at something. Pictures of Gibbs were everywhere. Big ones on the wall, some in frames and she had his pictures up on the plasma on her wall. This did not surprise him. Abby was worried, very worried. As he walked up softly behind her, he noticed she was staring at a picture of her and Gibbs. She was dressed very conservatively for Abby. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt under her white lab coat. She still had her hair in pigtails but he could see that many of her current tattoos were gone. She was a lot younger but was still his Abby. Gibbs was Gibbs but his hair was darker and he had fewer age lines than now and he was smiling.

He quietly put the caf-pow on her table and proceeded to put his arms around her waist. "Penny for your thoughts, Abbs," he whispered into her ear.

"I won't accept less that a quarter, Timmy. Inflation you know." She turned around and put her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Just remembering the first time I met Gibbs," she smiled. " I really could not stand him at first, Timmy. He really pissed me off."

Tim looked at her in shock. There were not many people that Abby did not like from the very first and Gibbs would have possibly been one of them.

Across town in the quake damaged basement Leroy Jethro Gibbs was thinking the same thing. Now he loved Abby as if she were his own daughter. To him she was his daughter just like Ziva and Kelly. She had not taken Kelly's place but she had partially filled the whole in his heart that Kelly left.

Trying to stay conscious he remembered back to the day he met her. She was working at Georgetown University working with the science department. They were developing a degree in forensics as well as a summer program for gifted high school students. She was also working with the DC Metro Crime Lab. At the time NCIS was in the process of getting funding for a lab of their own. They had to use Metro for most of their work and he had hated it.

His current team, which at that time did not include Tony, Tim or Ziva, was on campus investing the murder of a Navy seaman Damon Jackson from Mississippi. A friend of his Abigail Sciuto had found him dead behind the library building on the Georgetown Campus.

Walking up to the crime scene, he got his first look and Miss Sciuto. She was dressed in black jeans, platform boots and a black t-shirt with a skull on the front. She was very, very upset with something. As he neared the scene, he could hear her yelling at the campus security officer and three DC. Metro police officers. " Don't touch anything," she was screaming. " You are disturbing the forensic evidence. You can't touch the body until the M.E. says to. We need all the evidence we can get if we are going to get the slime bag who killed Damon." He could see the tears in her eyes. They were both sad tears for Damon he thought and anger tears for the way the police officers were handling the crime scene.

"What is going on here?" Gibbs barked showing his NCIS credentials. " I am Special Agent Gibbs and do we have a problem here."

"We sure do, Agent Gibbs. These morons have no concept of a crime scene." Abby turned and looked into his eyes for the first time. " Don't you men know anything about protecting evidence? We are not going to any leads without evidence and if they mess this up a good defense lawyer will get the person off who did this. "

Gibbs looked at her and raised an eyebrow. " How would a college student understand about crime scenes? Watching too much Quincy."

"Quincy? Who's that?" She looked at Gibbs and began to size him up. She was not sure about him. She thought he was a little bit rude. " My name is Abigail Sciuto and **I am a forensic scientist**, Agent Gibbs. We need hair samples; fingerprints and anything else that will **help me **find the killer. If it is something I hate, it is sloppy police work."

" You? This is my investigation, Miss Sciuto and my team and I will find the killer. You just step back and let us do our job," he said glaring at her. " Now would you so called investigators get out of our way so we can solve this case."

Abby was a little taken back by his gruffness. "How dare he?" she thought. "Damon is my friend and I will be involved with this investigation. I will work with Metro to find his killer. No special agent will get in my way."

Just then an older gentleman drove up in the NCIS van. He got out of the van. He walked up to Agent Gibbs. "Well what do we have here Jethro?"

"Dead Navy Seamen, Ducky. I need time of death and a cause quickly."

"Well let's have a look shall we. So sorry to be meeting you on such circumstances my boy." Ducky replied talking to the body. He removed a liver probe from his bag and began to insert it into Damon's liver.

"He must be the M. E." Abby thought. " He seems to know this Gibbs. Gibbs seems to respect him. If I want to be involved with this case I need to get in good with this Doctor he calls Ducky"

Abby walked up to the doctor almost pushing Gibbs out of the way. " Hello doctor, I am forensic scientist Abby Sciuto. This is my friend Damon Jackson," she said as Gibbs gave a major glare. Abby just sighed and went on talking. " If it helps I found him here this morning at 7 am. I was on my way to work."

Ducky looked up and saw anger and concern in her eyes. "Well Good Morning, Miss Sciuto. I am Dr. Donald Mallard. But you can call me Ducky." Pulling back on the liver probe he looked up and Gibbs. "He died some 6 hours ago, Jethro. The cause is yet to be determined until we get this young man back to the lab. Do you have any ideas on how your friend died, Miss Sciuto?"

Ignoring Gibbs' stare and obvious anger she walked up to the doctor. " Really no. I saw him last night about 6. We had dinner together before I went to the Metro lab to run some tests on another case. I was not planning on seeing him today. He said he was very busy." She started wiping the tears from her eyes. She eyed Gibbs. She was not about to give him a glimpse into her feelings. She very seldom made snap judgments against people she met but with this bastard she **would **make an exception.

Back in the basement, Gibbs smiled to himself. He thought about their beginnings and how much he and Abby had fought over their first case. He was able to reach for his wallet in his jacket pocket. Opening it to a certain picture of himself and Abby he planted a kiss on the photo with his finger. "From those antagonistic beginnings, we developed a wonderful relationship Abbs. I am hoping it works to help Tony and the team find me." His leg was really beginning to throb now. He really hoped they would get there soon.

McGee and Abby had been working almost an hour. They had searched Gibbs' cell phone records and traced his GPS coordinates. "I think we have found it McGee. " Abby squealed. " His dentist is Dr. Samuel Davis."

" I think you are right Abby." McGee picked up his cell and texted the address to Tony and Ziva who were at Gibbs' house looking for a lead. He then turned to his computer. "We need to see where he went from there Abbs. Just in case he is not still at the dentist office."

"I know," she said looking at their picture. " We have to keep looking Timmy. I was wondering if we could trace his phone from the call he made to me."

"We can try." McGee immediately started typing again the computer next to her. He looked up at her and saw the tears forming again. Knowing Abby she would be crying constantly if he did not keep her busy. I know get her to tell me how she and Gibbs finally got together and became friends. "Abbs, if you hated Gibbs so much, how did you end up at NCIS?"

"That's it" he thought, "Get her talking about Gibbs so she would get her mind off him being hurt or worse dead."

Abby smiled remembering that day. "Well, I was still very mad at him when he called to tell me that the team had caught Damon's killer. I was at the Metro lab working on another case. The case involved an abducted child and this was before the Amber alert system so we were pretty much looking for a body.

_Flashback_

"_Hello Metro Lab. Forensic Scientist Abby Scuito "_

"_Miss Scuito, this is Special Agent Gibbs. We caught Jackson's killer. He is in NCIS custody. We have an ironclad case. He is not getting out for a long time."_

_Abby just slid down the wall and sat on the floor. She put her head in her hands and the tears just began to flow. She reached and grabbed her stuffed animal Bert and held him close. "Thank you Agent Gibbs, " she sobbed._

_It was just minutes the door to the lab opened and in walked Special Agent Gibbs. "Where were you in the hall?" she thought staring at him._

_He said nothing he just sat down next to her by the wall. He smiled at her and put his arm around her shoulder. "You ok Abbs," he whispered handing her his handkerchief. "I know this just hit you. Damon is dead and we have captured his killer. We would have not have done it without your help. "_

"_You mean that Gibbs," she said between sobs. " I really helped your team."_

"_I don't say things I don't mean Abby. Despite my first impressions of you, you are a great forensic scientist."_

_Knowing that this was a challenge for him, the Gibbs she had met was not nice and they had fought each other the whole time. He was being sweet and loving. "Maybe I misjudged him," she thought. Abby just melted into his arms crying as if her heart would break. "Looks like the main line has busted," Gibbs smiled and held her close. She was close to Kelly's age and he wished he could have held Kelly like this. _

_Abby cried in Gibbs' arms for almost a half an hour. Finally she sat up, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "Thank you Gibbs," she said. "I need to call Damon's parents and give them the news." She stood up and started to walk away._

_Gibbs stood up and followed her. "If you ever need anything Abby, just call. " He placed his business card in her hand and walked out the door._

_About a week later she found a message in her box at the Metro lab. It was from a Miss Wilcox assistant to the director of NCIS Tom Morrow. When she returned the call she was invited to see him at his office on the next day._

_Not sure what it was about, a curious Abby Scuito arrived at the director's fifteen minutes early. Miss Wilcox walked her into the office and announced her._

"_Good morning, Miss Scuito. I am Tom Morrow, director of NCIS."_

"_Good morning sir," Abby was never one to beat around the bush and waste time on pleasantries started the conversation. "What do you want to see me about?"_

"_Right to the point. I like that Miss Scuito. As I am sure you have been told we are wanting to start our own forensic lab, I have it under good authority that you would be a perfect addition to our NCIS family."_

"_You want me to work for you."_

"_Not exactly Miss Scuito. I want you to be in charge of the lab. We have all the latest equipment and we need someone like you to run it," he said._

"_But sir, I am only 25 years old. Wouldn't you want someone with more experience to run the whole lab?"_

"_As I said I have it under the best recommendation that your skills are top notch. Would you considerate it at least?" He walked toward the door of his office. "Would you like to see the lab?"_

"_Yes, I would love too." They took the elevator down to the subbasement where the lab was in the process of being organized. As she stepped into the room that would become the lab her eyes widened like a child on Christmas morning. "The latest equipment" she thought. " I have never seen some of this stuff. To work here would be a dream come true." She walked around the lab just examining all the equipment. "One draw back," she remembered. " I would be working with Agent Gibbs." She remembered her first impression of him and then that day in the lab when he was so sweet. "Maybe?"_

"_I will have to really think about this director. Could I give you an answer in a couple of days?" _

"_Absolutely" Abby smiled at the director and had one last look around the lab. _

" _I will call you with my decision soon" _

_Abby was on her way back to the Metro lab wrestling with her decision. When she got out of her car and headed toward the building she was met with a familiar, some what angry face. " What do you me you will have to think about it?" Gibbs barked. "You are the best Abby and we need the best. I want you at NCIS. "_

"_So you were the special recommendation Gibbs."_

"_Yes, and you have to think about it. Come on Abbs. I know I can be a bastard sometimes but don't let that effect you decision. Think about Damon's family. All Navy and Marine families deserve the best when something happens to their loved ones."_

"_True, but I did not think you liked me Gibbs."_

"_What gave you that idea?" He smiled and walked up to her kissing her on the cheek. "You are the best Abbs."_

_Right then and there Abby became a part of his family and she reached for her cell phone and called the director and she accepted the job._

_End of flashback._

Just as Abby finished her story Tim's phone rang. He answered it quickly. It was Tony. "Well he left here fine McGee. He left at about 0930 and the nurse mentioned he was headed for the Home Depot with a flask of bourbon for the pain. Any ideas which on."

"Working on it Tony. Try the one nearest the dentist's office. I will text you the address." He hung up the phone and looked at Abby. "He was ok when he left there, Abbs. We will find him."

###########

Gibbs was still looking at the picture of him and Abby on her first day at NCIS. " That was the best decision I ever made Abbs. You have been a great asset to NCIS and you are my baby girl. Please use your special skills to find me soon. I don't know how much longer I can make it."


End file.
